Hugs
by Rosa Cotton
Summary: COMPLETE! A series of short pieces centering on Edmund, Lucy, and hugs. Movieverse. Piece eight: Hope
1. Curious

Disclaimer: _The Chronicles of Narnia_, all characters, places, and related terms belong to C.S. Lewis, and Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures.

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Hugs

Curious

"Time for bed, young lady," Mrs. Pevensie said, carefully picking up Lucy from the floor.

The almost two-year-old made a soft cry of protest and looked down longingly at her blocks, which Peter instantly started putting away.

"You can play tomorrow," her mother assured her, kissing her little nose. Lucy's pout turned into a grin. "Say goodnight to your brothers and sister."

Susan closed her picture book and jumped off the couch while Peter got to his feet; both hurried to their mother's side. Edmund, his thumb in his mouth and hugging his blanket, slid off the cushioned chair and followed their lead.

He silently watched his older brother and sister make a fuss over Lucy. Finally, each gave her a final kiss and "goodnight." Edmund came forward when Mum smiled at him. Before he reached her side, Lucy leaned toward him, extending her arms and smiling.

The boy removed his thumb from his mouth and dropped his blanket to the floor. Mrs. Pevensie knelt. She held Lucy carefully while Edmund hugged his sister.

"Night, Lu," Ed said.

Lucy beamed up at him and made baby sounds he could not interpret. He gave her a small smile. The boy carefully stepped out of her reach, and Mum stood up and took Lucy up to bed.

"Peta," Edmund tugged on his brother's sleeve.

"Yes, Ed?"

"Why does she always want to hug me?"


	2. Nuisance

Nuisance

"Edmund?"

The called boy quickly turned around to see his sister, in her pink robe and boots, emerge from the trees. Her eyes lit up with pleasant surprise.

"Oh, Edmund, you got here too!" she exclaimed happily, rushing to him. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Usually, he was quick enough to dodge her attempts to hug him. But he did not realize her intention until her small arms were wrapped around him and her head was resting on his chest. Perhaps he had not acted soon enough because he was thinking about what Her Majesty had told him.

Edmund staggered back a step when she flung herself at him. Lucy's tight hug made him realize his stomach did not feel good. Quickly he pushed her roughly away.

He really could not understand why Lucy loved to hug him. She was always getting on his nerves. And he always picked on her and made her cry. (And then Peter would get mad at him while Susan tried to comfort Lu and gave him a disapproving look.) So why she attempted to hug him so much was a mystery -- a nuisance of a mystery -- to him. She loved to hug everyone: Mum, Peter, Susan, and Dad before he went to fight in the war; but not as much as she loved hugging him.

In his family's eyes Lucy was the special one, the one who could not be denied anything. And he, he was the black sheep of the family. More than once Edmund wondered how Peter could be so wrapped around Lucy's finger and yet could treat him so beastly.

"Where have you been?" he demanded, feeling uncharitable as he noted she looked lively and cheerful while he realized how cold he was; and his stomach was hurting him awfully.

"With Mr. Tumnus," Lucy replied, for once not bursting into tears when he did not welcome her hug nor noticing his dark frown.


	3. Welcome

Author's Note: I'm glad this is so liked. I'm sorry the pieces are shorter than desired, but the scenes (I should really say moments) themselves are short. Thank you everyone for the feedback. I hope you continue to enjoy this.

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Welcome

"What's done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund about what is past," Aslan said solemnly.

Edmund watched the Lion turn and walk away from him and his siblings. Slowly he faced them and gathered the courage to glance at them for the shortest moment. Susan and Lucy appeared embarrassed and uncertain. And Peter… The younger boy swallowed nervously. The expression on his brother's face filled him with remorse and shame.

"Hello," his voice sounded raspy and hoarse to his ears. He stared down at the ground, his body tense.

It felt like an eternity passed as he waited for his siblings to do or say…_anything_. When something finally did happen, it was the last thing he expected. He heard a familiar soft, happy laugh, and Lucy stepped forward with a smile lighting up her face. Then her arms wrapped around his middle in a welcoming hug.

Edmund's throat tightened, and for the second time since entering Narnia, his eyes began to sting as moisture welled up in them. His uncertain surprise quickly melted as Lucy nestled her face in his chest. A slow smile spread over his face at his sister's gesture.

And for the first time any of the four Pevensies could remember, Edmund did not push Lucy away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the girl and placed his cheek on her head. Her hair felt so soft and smooth against his face, and it smelled of soap.

A wave of relief washed over him at the knowledge that his siblings were alive and well. He tightened his hold on his sister slightly. _Thank you for protecting them_, he silently thanked.

"_Your sister loves you, even now,"_ he recalled Aslan's words when he had been startled by Lucy's happy calling earlier. That memory, and the truth of it, now filled the boy with comfort and joy. He dropped a kiss on Lucy's head. He did not release her until Susan put a hand on his shoulder.


	4. Fear

Fear

A heavy silence fell over the crowd as Aslan led the Witch into his tent. When the flaps of the tent closed behind her, Lucy turned to Edmund, her little face white. She threw her arms around him and burst into hard, racking sobs. Her brother had just come back, and now she might lose him again – for good. It was too much for the girl. She clung to her brother desperately as she cried.

Edmund quickly wrapped his arms around his little sister. A great weight pressed on his heart. He could not look at anyone except his siblings, filled with shame and fear.

He did not want to die. He was needed here. He had to mend things between him and his siblings. He _needed_ them.

Secretly, though, he knew he did deserve to die. Because of him, Peter, Susan, and Lucy had been nearly killed. He was a traitor. It was almost too much to hope that somehow he would be saved. But all these heavy, frightening thoughts were at the back of his mind at the moment. His concern was on Lucy. He hugged her tightly, protectively, slowly rocking her back and forth.

Peter had always had words of comfort and assurance to give Lucy when she was upset or sad. But Edmund was not Peter, and he racked his brain without success for words of comfort to offer his sister. _He_ did not know if it would be all right in the end.

He felt Lucy's tears soak his tunic, and a lump formed in his dry throat.

"Oh, Edmund," the girl whimpered, grabbing fistfuls of fabric in her hands.

He dropped his head to lay a kiss on her hair. "Lucy," he rasped.

He settled them both down on the ground with his sister in his lap. Her arms were about his neck while her face was buried in his shoulder. Edmund silently resumed rocking her. He was unable to speak with the burning in his throat and the trembling in his jaw.

The two siblings could only hug, trying to draw comfort and hope from each other.


	5. Relief

Relief

"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam."

A staggering breath escaped the four Pevensies. The nightmare was over. Aslan's words were met with wild cheering; Peter and Susan each placed an arm around Edmund's shoulders while Lucy grinned. However, the shouts died down when the Witch's voice rose above the cheers to demand how she knew Aslan's promise would be kept. All eyes flicked between the two with confusion.

The confusion turned into laughter and renewed celebration when the Lion answered only with a great roar. The Witch half-fell and half-sat in her litter, which was quickly carried away from the camp.

Edmund followed the Witch and her party's progress for a moment before looking at Aslan. The Lion nodded his head ever so slightly. His eyes seemed brighter than the stars; an unnamable emotion was in their depths.

The boy smiled and glanced about the crowd. They were all cheering. They were happy for him, glad he was free. He was nearly overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and relief. He honestly did not deserve it all.

He suddenly remembered his siblings when Peter wrapped him in a one-arm hug and Susan smiled widely at him with joy. Edmund laughed with them and then turned to Lucy.

The little girl's hands were pressed together. She didn't laugh or shout; only a smile touched her lips. She gazed up at her brother with a mix of happiness and disbelief. Her smile widened when Edmund opened his arms.

He clasped her in his embrace and lifted her up, swinging her in a half-circle before setting her feet back on the ground.

"Thank you, Lu!" he said loudly in her ear before pulling back.

Lucy grinned up at him, understanding. Edmund smiled down at her and squeezed her shoulders. They were still together.


	6. Reunion

Reunion

Lucy replaced the cork in her cordial. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably as she, along with Peter and Susan, stared down at Edmund. Blood – his own – stained his tunic and amour, and the breath that was left in him came out in jerky, short gasps that shook his broken body. Dirt and little scratches speckled his face

She watched as he weakly swallowed the drop of juice she had poured into his mouth. She and the others waited anxiously. Edmund's lips closed. A soft sigh escaped from him, and she ceased hearing or seeing him breathe. And then his body grew limp. Lucy stared at her brother's pale, expressionless face, willing for him to open his eyes and get up, all well.

_Come on, Edmund_, she silently urged, begged him. _Please, get up. Father Christmas promised my cordial will work. Please, try. You cannot leave me – us, Ed! Please!_

Yet her brother did not hear her silent words and did not stir. Lucy's chin trembled, and tears gathered in her eyes as she realized what it all meant. She heard Susan stifle a sob. A dry gasp escaped the younger sister's throat as hot tears poured freely down her face.

A grief settled in her heart, much like when she had spotted Mr. Tumnus, turned to stone; only the grief was far heavier and worse now.

_Oh, Edmund… Aslan, please…!_

Lucy was startled when suddenly a fit of light coughs burst forth from Edmund. She watched with frightened hope as he coughed, his head moving so slightly in Susan's lap. The color returned to her brother's face. Then the lids of his eyes opened slowly, revealing brown eyes that blinked against the bright sunlight.

The little girl smiled, the last of her tears (now of joy) falling. She did not have the energy to laugh as Susan did. Lucy's smile widened when Edmund's eyes flickered between her and their two older siblings' faces. His confused look gave way to tired relief. She watched joyously when he was jerked up from the ground into Peter's arms and hugged tightly.

For the third time in almost as many days, Edmund had been given back to them. The girl could only silently thank Aslan again and again. She hoped this time Ed would stay for good. She knew she did not want to lose him ever again.

"When are you going to learn to do as you're told?"

Peter's choked words made Lucy return her gaze to her brothers. She watched them exchange a smile. Unable to just sit by and watch any longer, she laughed and leaned forward to wrap Edmund in a hug. She felt his arms go around her. Then Susan and Peter joined in, making it a huge group hug. For the third time they were reunited.


	7. Accord

Author's Note: Here we come to the end of this collection of stories. I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing; I did not expect this to be so liked.

This is my final post until September (go to my profile for an explanation); I will a lot of catching up to do… I hope you all have a wonderful summer. :)

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Accord

Edmund's eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open as he gazed about the dazzling hall outside the throne room of Cair Paravel. He swallowed nervously. This was now his home, where he would live as King of Narnia with Peter, Susan, and Lucy. The grandness of the palace was nearly overwhelming; he had never seen anything like it before. He wondered how long it would take him to get used to living here.

Unconsciously, Edmund fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve for the tenth time. With a mixture of awe and uncertainty he looked over his clothes of ice blue and silver. When he glanced up, Peter caught his eye and gave him an assuring smile.

Dressed in dark blue and gold, Peter was the picture of calmness: no problems with nerves or itching clothes. He seemed different somehow: taller, older, wiser, kingly? Edmund couldn't put his finger on it. But it caused him to feel a new sense of awed respect for Peter.

The younger boy slowly returned his brother's smile and took a deep breath. He willed the butterflies in his stomach to relax.

"Oh, Lucy!"

Susan's voice drew Peter and Edmund's attention. They turned to see Susan shaking her head as she walked slowly and gracefully towards them, dressed in a light blue gown, with patterns woven in silver thread, and a dark blue cape. Lucy, however, was not trying to act like a to-be-crowned queen. A good distance ahead of her older sister, she skipped to her brothers while smiling widely.

Ed blinked several times at his sister. Her short hair was in waves that bounced with each skip she took. (He could not recall having ever seen her hair like that before.) And her shiny white dress and red and gold cape billowed around her. She looked very nice, he thought with some surprise. He smiled when she drew to a stop before him and Peter and twirled around, giggles bubbling from her.

"You look lovely," Peter voiced Edmund's thoughts. "Both of you," he added, his gaze drifting between his two sisters.

"Thank you, Peter!" Lucy grasped his hand and squeezed it tightly. Then she noticed Edmund, and her face lit up. "Oh, Ed!" she exclaimed and stepped toward him, opening her arms.

Edmund, knowing instantly what was about to happen, took half a step back.

"Lucy, you'll get your dress all wrinkled," Susan cautioned, reaching her siblings' sides.

Lucy looked at her sister with the beginning of a pout on her face before returning her gaze to Edmund. She must have seen the flicker in his dark eyes of something akin to disappointment, for she took a moment to smile brightly at Susan, then promptly threw her arms around Edmund.

Peter laughed while Susan shook her head, though a tiny smile was playing over her lips. Edmund did nothing to hide his smile as he returned Lucy's embrace. When Lucy lifted her head from his chest, he tapped her on the nose.

"Edmund," she laughed. "You look wonderful," she praised with a nod.

The boy blushed and then murmured softly, "Thanks. You do, too."

One moment it was just the four of them in the hall; the next the light in the room brightened as Aslan appeared only two feet away from the siblings. They looked at the Lion with surprise, but it quickly vanished when he proclaimed with a shake of his great golden mane, "It is time." He turned and strode to the closed large double doors of the throne room.

The laughter and smiles instantly vanished from Peter and Susan's faces as they followed Aslan. Peter stood on the Lion's left, Susan on his right. Edmund and Lucy trailed a little behind. She squeezed his hand and gave an encouraging smile before pulling away to go to Susan's side.

As Edmund took his place beside Peter, he let out a silent breath and squared his shoulders. The butterflies were back with a new energy; yet as the great doors opened and the five marched into the room, they subsided as the boy thought about his sister's hug and smile.


	8. Hope

Author's Note: It is my day off and I'm home to relax and recover from the week. It was a challenge to keep camp clean while it was rainy and muddy the whole week, and the creek overflowed its banks. I had the idea for this piece before I left, but did not have time to write it. This is the _real_ end of the series. ;)

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Hope

Though a little surprised, Lucy did not object when Edmund sat down next to her under the shady tree. Neither child spoke.

Edmund played with the dried leaves at his feet, a sad frown on his face. Though her book lay open on her lap, Lucy did not return to reading it; rather, she studied her brother out of the corner of her eye.

She did not ask what he was thinking about. She did not need to. What Edmund's thoughts dwelled on was the same as her own, Peter's, and Susan's. They had not talked about Narnia much since their return. But they have thought about their time there often. They have all returned to the spare room and checked the wardrobe.

Edmund rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and sighed. Lucy closed her book.

"We might go back someday," she said softly, thinking of what the professor had told her the night she had visited the spare room to try the wardrobe.

The boy raised his head and fixed his sister with a searching stare. "Do…do you think so?" Hope shone in his eyes.

The girl nodded. "Aye. The professor believes we will. Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen…" Lucy's eyes grew wistful as her voice died away.

A faint smile touched her brother's face, and he nodded, an invisible weight falling from his shoulders. Lucy wrapped her arms about his middle and leaned her head on his shoulder. He folded her in his own arms. They could only have faith and wait.

THE END


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